Boiler-flue cleaner.



I H. L. BRLBWIM.

BOILER FLUB CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, 1911.

Patentd Dec. 19, 1911.

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mounted in some convenient position in the HENRY L. ERLEWINE, 0F MARION, INDIA ASSIGNOR TO CENTRAL MACHINE &

FOUNDRY 00., OF MARION INDIANA A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

BOILER-FLUKE CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent. 7

Patented Dee. if), 1911.

' Application filed May 12, 1911. Serial No. 626,836.

To all idiom 1' i may concern:

lie it known that I. llnxnv L. En'rnwnvn, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Marion, in the count of Grant and State of Indiana. have invented a new and useful Improvement in lloilcr-FlneCleaners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a fall, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to boiler flue clean ers. its object-is to provide an improved cleaner of the rotar} type in which a jet of steam is dirteted in a controlled manner into the lines of the boiler. In these devices as hitherto manufactured, a shell or casing is boiler plan being usually tixcd within the wall of the combustien chamber, and. is provided vsith one or m re nozzles or jet openings: rotatably carried within the casing. and operated so as to throw a jet of steam against the boiler head and intothe lines. the direction of the jet. being ccntrollcd either by nieehanism for varying the throw or eccentricity of the nozzle or for zubnitting the steam jet individnail and aueco-sively to one ol' the .les at a time, the (.ultl'M the jet through a given aunular set or section of lines being obtained by rotating the nozzle employed.

livinvention relates to line cleaners having a plurality of steam channels each having a nozzle opening of fixed eccentricit rotatably mounted in a shell or casing which is in fixed position when the cleaner is in operation.

It contemplates, generally stated the provision in such a fine cleaner of a steam or fluid head having a plurality of passages communicating respectively with said channels. the steam head being continuously eonneeted to the steam inlet, and provided with cut-oil valves controlling said passages respect] vet 11v invention consists further in the distinctive construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter more particularly (it:- sr-rihed and claimed.

It will he understood that the boiler flue cleaner'of my invention i applicable. for use with water and other fluids as well as steam, and that where the expressions steam or steam head and the like are used below that such words do not impl that the use of my invention is restricted to any particular cleansing medium; and further that my invention as defined in the accompanying claims em'ers equivalent parts or elements and allnses to which they may heput within its scope.

in the accompanying drawings Figure 1 a longitudinal vertical section partly in full side view of a boiler flue cleaner illustrating my invention. Fig. Q-is a detail longitudinal s ction of the rotatable steam joint and steam head employed. Fig. 3 a front 6 view with theinlet pipe removed. Fig. 4 is a detail transverse section on the line 44.- Fig. Fig. is an end elevation showing the nonlrhcad and Fig: is a diagrammatic perspective view partly in vertical. section illustrating my in ention as applied to :1V boiler.

In the said drawings in which like parts are designated by the salve reference numerals throughout. the shell or casing 1 com- 70 prises a cylindrical or tubular portion 1 having at its forward end the outer ease porti n or hood 2. The rotary head 4 comprises the and the channel steam head portion a) portion 4''. which has an annular extension or hearing: 6 iournaled within the rear end 1*" at the shell 1. as illustrated in Fiji. 1.

The rotary head t is connected to the steam it t illustrated as b) the pipe 1'' by the journa coupling S joining the steam head 5 and the elbow .l of the steam inlet 7. The coupling 8 is preferahl a stalling box coupling' having; the gland 1t) jonrnaled on the elbow pipe 9 and screwed into the sleeve 12 of the steam head confining the packing material l3 against the shoulder 9 of the pipe 9.

The steam head or chest 5 is of hollow form having a chamber 5 provided with a plurality of ports 15. in this case four of such ports being. illustrated. Each port 15 comn'zunicates with a passage 16 in the head 4. in this castthe passages 14'; being represented as within the portion 4' and conneetcd to the ports 15 bv the short pipes 17 and angle valves 19. Each angle valve 19 is a check valve. provided with a key 18 by which the entrance of steam into any one of the steam passages it} is controlled. The

inletpipe 7 is provided al o with an inlet; valve 21 by which the admission of steam or water to the flue cleaner is controlled; and the head 4 is provided preferably with the drip cock 2:? by which condensed steam or water is allowed to escape from the chamher 5 after the completion of each flue cleaning operation.

The flue cleaner of my invention is also provided with a plurality of channels communicating with the passages 16 respectively in the rotary head 4, so that steam may be admitted to said channels one at a time or as desiredfrom the steam head or chest 5 by the controlling valves 19. As llustrated' I embody said channels prefer ably in the form of tubes 23 connecting with jet passages or ports 24 in the nozzle head 25 which is rotatably mountedwvithin the shell 1. The jetpassagcs 24 are preferably arranged to terminate respectively as parts of difi erent eccentricity from the axis of the tubecleaner and within one of the separate nozzles 24*, 24 24, and 24, shown as projecting from the rotary nozzle head 25. The

tubes 23 are rigidly connected both to the nozzle head 25 and to the rotary head 4, being indicated as provided with the opposite screw threads 23 and 23 at their 0pposite ends respectively screwed into the said heads 4 and The shell 1 may be formed of two semicylindrical portions 1" and 1 joined by the bolts or rivets 27 fastening together the butt flanges 28 in order to facilitate the setting up of the parts within the combustion chamber wall 290i? the boiler plant 30. Each eccentric opening 24 is thus controlled by one of the valves 19 arranged to open and cut 011' communication between the rotary steam head or chestand the particular'passage 16 and tube 23 leading thereto. It is apparent moreover that my invention is capable of embodiment in widely modified forms, although I prefer" to employ a nozzle head having separate nozzles containing the eccentric jet passages, and a separate steam head having passages communicating with said jet passages by means of the connecting tubes 23, the essential features of construction, however, residing merely in the provision of a plurality of separate jet ports or nozzle openings communicating respectively with the steam jets or chamber of the rotary steam head, and each ntrolled by a cut-off valve.

In operation, when it' is desired to thoroughly clean the accumulateds'oot and other materials within the fines 31 of any boiler, such as 32 illustrated in Fig. 6, steam is admittcd through the inlet 7 by opening the valve 21 and passes into the chamber 5' of the rotary head 5. All of the valves 19 con; trolling the jet passages 16 and 24 will in general be kept closed and the steam will be admitted to the desired jet passage 24,,

such as that for instance of the nozzle 24 by opening the particular controlling valve 1S) previously cutting off the steam. The head 5- will preferably be provided with a dial or like device (not illustrated) indicating which one of the jet openings 24 each eccentric of the series of nozzles, the valve.

19 mxy be designated as adapted to admit a steam jet to the outside section 31 01:

boiler-fines. Stcau'i beiugadmittcd by opening the said valve 1$), the hi-ad 5 is-then rotated by the. operator at the desired rate and in 'any desired manner as by grasping one of the valve keys 18, thus throwing the jet. of steam in an annular course about the extcriorly situat d fines of the boiler The operation is then continued by successively opening the controlling valves 19 19, 19 so as to admit steam through the nozzle openings arranged in the succes i ely less eccentric nozzles '24 24, 24", and cleans successively the boiler tines in the different annular sets, which may be designated as the outside intermediate, the inside intermediate, and the inside sections, respectively. it is thus apparent that in the use of the flue cleaner of my invention the jet of steam can be successively directed against all portions or s ctions of the boiler tines by simply opcning one of a series of valves visible .to the operator and mounted outside of the boiler chamber wall so as to be readilyaccessible for repairing or adjustment, as distinguished from devices in which the various flues are reached by a single'eccentrically movable and rotatably mounted nozzle manipulated by complex mechanism, which is inaccessible when out of order,or devices in which bomber of nozzles are employed and the steam communication thereto con trolled by a valve within the shell or casing and manipulated by a rod or. tube extending through the same. a

What I claim is: V

1. In boiler flue cleaners the combination of a fixed shell, 21 head rotatably mounted therein having a plurality of jet passages with jet openings of different eccentricity, a steam inlet communicating with said passages and a. plurality of valves carried by said head and each controlling one of said passages, substantially as described.

2. A boiler flue cleaner comprising a stationary shell, an inlet pipe. a head rotatablv mounted in said shell and journaled on said inlet pipe and provided with a plurality of passages connecting with said inlet pipe, and a cut off valve on said head controlling each of said passages, said passages having nozzle openings respectively of different eccentricity relative to the axis of said head, substantially as described.

provided with a plurality of jet openings, a I

st am head rotatably mounted atthe rear portion of said shell and provided with a plurality of passages, tubes fixed to said nozzlv head and said steam head res1;ee-, tiu-ly, and each connecting one of said pasuge to one of said jet openings. All intet adapted to admit steam to said steam head, in- 5 in; his "or controlling the admission of steam s.ir h said passages, respectively.

5. In holler fine cleaners the combination with arinlet pipe and a shell adapted to be arrans d in fixed position, of'a rotary steam head janrnal d on said inlet pipe and havplurality of 'mssages leading, from said chamber. and valves controlling raid passages respectively, and a plurality of nozzles each com snnicating with one of said passages.

6. In boiler flue cleaners, the combination ing' a chamber communicating therewith,

with an inlet pipe and a sheli adapted to he, 35

arranged in fixed position, of a rotary steam head journalecl on said inlet pipe and having a chamber communicating therewith, a plurality of passages leading from said chamber. and valves controlling 'said passages res eti\ ely, a rotary nozzle. head journaled in said shell and provided with a phirality of nozzle openings of ditierent eccentrieitp. and tubes fixed to said nozzle head and said steam head respectively and eonnet-ting: (Salli of said nozzle o 'ienings with wilt? of said passages.

In testmzony whereof, I the said llnxnr l1. IltihlilViSi-I have hereunto set my hand.

HENRY L. E LP-LEVINE.

'it ucssfis:

U. C. (jiuiimtnmx, (fnxzm C. Deunnmo. 

